Nicole Mazza, chief marketing officer, at Travel Market 2026's opening session (Source: Claudette Covey)
Strong sales and a wave of new technology, marketing and supplier initiatives took center stage as TRAVELSAVERS and NEST outlined new initiatives and growth plans .
At Travel Market 2026, held Sept. 24-27 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, the networks reported gains across travel segments: FIT land sales rose 7 percent; guided travel and hotel room sales, 8 percent; and ocean and river cruises, 14 percent each.
Five announcements stood out. Here are five top takeaways from the conference.
Marketing Moves Into One Hub
Built into the tripXpress itinerary platform, the new Marketing Hub lets advisors manage customer data, campaigns, email and direct-mail preferences, performance metrics and network tools from one place.
“They’ll spend less time searching for materials and more time building relationships, serving clients and generating sales,” said Tim Paul, vice president of marketing. “They’ll spend less time searching for materials and more time building relationships, serving clients and generating sales.”
“The Marketing Hub provides more visibility into performance and makes it easier to plan and implement outreach with confidence and impact,” he added.
Smarter Searches to Generate Stronger Leads
“The networks have enhanced advisor search capabilities across their consumer websites: TRAVELSAVERS U.S., TRAVELSAVERS Canada, The Affluent Traveler Collection and Your Vacation Specialists for NEST advisors,” the companies said. “Consumers can now find advisors based on two new categories –destination expertise and travel niches – creating closer matches and higher-quality leads.”
Meanwhile, video and social media campaigns delivered nearly 18 million impressions in 2026– four times 2025’s total – and 323,000 website clicks, triple the previous result.
Tern Adds All-In-One Tech Option
The networks’ new partnership with Tern gives agencies an all-in-one CRM and itinerary platform for trip planning, client management, payments, tasks and reporting.
Supplier integrations reduce manual sales entry, while a direct link to the Marketing Hub streamlines client outreach and business development.
Along with the networks’ Tracey and Tres partnerships, Tern gives agencies real-time sales insights, preferred pricing, commission opportunities and a clearer link between marketing and bookings.
Preferred Supplier Portfolio Expands
TRAVELSAVERS and NEST now offer more than 200 preferred suppliers, 51,000 hotel partners and 1,400 luxury hotels and resorts through The Affluent Traveler Collection.
New hotel program suppliers include Choice Hotels, Global Hotel Alliance and Grupo Posadas.
Additionally, TRAVELSAVERS and NEST now have preferred relationships with all five ALG Vacations brands, with the addition of Blue Sky Tours and United Vacations.
“The networks’ OnLocation program enhanced its partnership with Abercrombie & Kent, adding several new destination management companies,” the networks said. “As well, Live Life Safaris brings Africa expertise to the OnLocation portfolio. Luxury tour operator Audley Travel has also become a preferred partner,” the companies said.
The new tourist board partnerships include Visit San Antonio, Mexican Caribbean Tourism Board, Costa Rica, Gran Canaria Tourism Board, Baja California Sur and Finland.
Both Networks Continue to Grow
TRAVELSAVERS added five agencies representing $78.9 million in preferred partner sales in 2026, following 11 agencies and $86.9 million in sales in 2025.
NEST added 36 agencies representing $91 million in preferred partner sales in 2026. That follows 88 agencies and $273 million in preferred sales in 2025; the home-based network now has more than 500 affiliates nationwide.
“Our innovation strategy has always been laser-focused on helping advisors grow stronger, more profitable businesses while delivering exceptional value to travelers,” said Nicole Mazza, chief marketing officer.
“For more than 56 years, we’ve developed solutions that help agencies sell more and operate more efficiently,” she added. “We’re building on that legacy today with powerful new tools, expanded partnerships, and advanced marketing capabilities that give our advisors a competitive advantage now and into the future.”
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